U.S. Reps. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Bill Johnson (R-OH) will launch the Congressional Israel Victory Caucus (CIVC) on Thursday morning (April 27) at 9 am, with the goal of introducing a new U.S. strategy to re-shape the discourse of the Israel-Palestinian Authority peace process.
A live stream of the launch can be seen from 9 to 10 a.m. on the Middle East Forum page on Facebook.
To go to the live stream, click here.
“Israel is America’s closest ally in the Middle East, and the community of nations must accept that Israel has a right to exist – period,” said Cong. Johnson. “This is not negotiable now, nor ever. The Congressional Israel Victory Caucus aims to focus on this precept, and better to inform our colleagues in Congress about daily life in Israel and the present-day conflict. I look forward to co-chairing this very important caucus with Cong. DeSantis.”
Cong. DeSantis adds: “Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East, as we share common national interests and possess similar national values. Israel is not the problem in the Middle East; it is the solution to many of the problems that bedevil the region. American policy must ensure that Israel emerges victorious against those who deny or threaten her existence.”
Since 1988, every U.S. administration has invested in Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy but nearly three decades of failure strongly suggests that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations need rethinking. Washington must adopt an entirely new policy one that sees negotiations following conflict resolution, not as a means to solve it. This implies an Israeli victory and a Palestinian defeat, with victory being defined as Palestinian recognition of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
Additionally, an Israeli victory liberates Palestinians by compelling them to come to terms with living alongside and not instead of a Jewish State. Defeat also frees them to improve their own lives. Unleashed from a genocidal obsession against Israel, Palestinians can develop their polity, economy, society, and culture.
The caucus calls for a new U.S. approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, replacing the emphasis on Israel’s making “painful concessions,” and putting the onus on the Palestinians to recognize Israel’s permanency and give up its goal of destroying Israel.
The Israel Victory Project was initiated by the Middle East Forum in June 2016. With increasing awareness, this new approach is gaining support throughout the pro-Israel landscape in the U.S. Congress, the Executive Branch and Israel’s parliament and government.
“The current approach to achieving a resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict has consistently failed because it allows Palestinian rejectionism to be met by a call for further concessions from Israel, thus pushing peace further away because of the entrenchment of a Palestinian denial of the Jewish people’s right to sovereignty,” said Professor Daniel Pipes, President of the Middle East Forum. “As Ronald Reagan said regarding the US fight against communism, the only way to ‘win is if they lose.’ The launch of the Israel Victory Caucus will help bring about a catalytic change in the way America pursues peace in the region: Putting its allies priorities first.”
Following the launch, the caucus will begin an education campaign to apprise members of Congress and staff by hosting briefings and hearings. It will also participate in a parallel caucus in Israel’s Knesset. A two-day conference in Jerusalem in July 2017 will introduce Israeli parliament members and government officials to the project and will offer a chance for U.S. Congress members to meet with their counterparts.